Welcome to this week’s constituency newsletter for residents in Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
We have some fantastic small and medium businesses across Reading West and Mid Berkshire and yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting two of them, K2 Solar Mounting and Bonfire, both based at Easter Park in Aldermaston. On Thursday it was really great to be at the opening of the South Reading Family Hub – one of four Best Start Hubs across Reading that opened yesterday, including one at Ranikhet on the Dee Estate. Earlier this week, I was delighted that the government launched our New Deal for Young People to support young people not in employment, education, or training. And, also this week, fantastic news with the announcement of new measures to crack down on fly-tipping.
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Visits to local businesses
Yesterday, I visited two businesses at Easter Park in Aldermaston – K2 Solar Mounting and Bonfire.
K2 provide supply mounting systems for both rooftop and ground based solar installations and it was really great to hear about their innovative work supporting the growth of renewable energy across the UK and beyond. I was also really impressed to hear about the work that they are doing to train and upskill the next generation of solar installers through their K2 Academy.
I also visited Bonfire and spoke with Managing Director, Marc about how the company has grown and developed. We had a really informative chat about how technology around wood burning stoves has developed.
Opening of South Reading Best Start Hub
It was wonderful yesterday to be at the opening of the South Reading Family Hub – ahead of the launch of all of the government’s Best Start Hubs in April. The Centre has got brilliant stay and play facilities for families, a local authority nursery and a café, bringing the community together with all of the different services that families might need.
Best Start Hubs like South Reading will provide that important support for families, particularly those with early years children, helping them get ready for school. And I am really pleased that in addition to South Reading, yesterday marked the opening of the other three Family Hubs across Reading including at Ranikhet on the Dee Estate.
Support for vulnerable households that rely on heating oil
I know that households that rely on heating oil to heat their homes and water will be worried about the impact of price increases as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced £50 million of support for low income families that heat their homes by oil. I am pleased to confirm that West Berkshire Council will be receiving some of this funding to support vulnerable households, which will be distributed via the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) from 1 April.
The government is also planning to introduce new consumer protections for heating oil customers and is rapidly exploring new ways to step in and ensure households are better protected.
A new crackdown on fly-tipping
I often hear concerns from residents right across Reading West and Mid Berkshire about fly-tipping, so I am delighted that the government announced new measures to tackle this scourge.
- Forcing offenders into “clean-up squads” to clean up our streets and parks
- Giving councils to powers to recover clean-up costs directly from those responsible
- Speeding up enforcement and avoiding lengthy court cases
We’re clear. The bottom line is that if you dump waste, you will clean it up and pay the price.
A New Deal for young people
Too many young people in Reading West and Mid Berkshire are being left behind. Under the last government, the number of young people in the UK not in education, employment or training rose by 250,000, and today the figure is nearly a million.
That’s why the Labour Government are launching a New Deal for young people with:
- Youth Jobs Grant: businesses will receive £3,000 for every young person they hire aged 18-24 who has been on Universal Credit and looking for work for six months.
- Jobs Guarantee: expanded to 18-24 year olds to create more than 35,000 extra subsidised jobs.
- Apprenticeship Incentive: £2,000 for each new employee aged 16-24 taken on by an SME.
- Growth and Skills Levy: further reforms to prioritise young apprentices, secure value for money and give school and college leavers more opportunities than ever.
- National Insurance: No NICs on employees under 21 or apprentices under 25.
Best wishes for the week ahead.
Olivia